


I Wanna Know What Love Is

by Airwing



Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Fluff and Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-01
Updated: 2014-10-18
Packaged: 2018-01-10 19:56:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 18,310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1163849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Airwing/pseuds/Airwing
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Chuck Hansen has no concept of what it means to love someone and is simply crying out for a friend and someone to teach him that it's worth coming back from Pitfall.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> _Author’s Notes: This, for the most part, is a fluff piece. There’s no hot steamy sex scenes, just some fluff. I got the inspiration for this story while listening to the Celtic Thunder version of ‘I Wanna Know What Love Is’, by Foreigner. I had to wonder, who else in the Pacific Rim universe would be more confused about the concept of love than Chuck Hansen? Selfish, arrogant, cocky, brash Chuck Hansen, the man who probably knows next to nothing about the concept of love. This story is un-beta’d because it was spur of the moment and I have my fellow PacRim junkie steadily working on his own fic and don’t want to distract him. I need his fic like crackwhores need a hit of coke. Check it out;[Nothing Here is Cruel or Kind](/works/1121572/chapters/2260351), by SublimeDiscordance._

**Hong Kong Shatterdome – Twelve Hours Before Operation Pitfall**

All of the Shatterdome was in an uproar, excited over the triumph over the Kaiju Double Event, despite the loss of two elite crews. Cheers echoed when Raleigh Becket and Mako Mori came through the bulkhead doors into the Jaeger mechanical and launch coliseum. Both of them were grinning widely over their first true victory. It was well earned, but it stung.

 

The electromagnetic burst that put Striker Eureka temporarily out of operation was the only thing that had kept the Hansen men from taking the win for themselves, and while Herc was content with the outcome, Chuck was not. No, he was far from okay with it. Of course, he was thankful that Gipsy Danger had showed up and kept he and his father from being killed by Leatherback, and he was thrilled when the nuclear Jaeger ripped out the gland that dispatched the electro-burst, but he still missed reveling in the euphoria of a win.

 

Chuck gave a curt nod at Raleigh as they met eyes. His father was saying something to the other pilot, but Chuck didn’t hear what it was. He glanced up at the doomsday clock on the wall. It had been reset, but not for very long he was sure. He checked his watch; he had to be in Pentecost’s office in ten minutes. He knew what it was about. It was about Operation Pitfall. It was about finishing what they had started earlier, when they were still four Jaegers strong. He knew that what Pentecost was going to tell him was far from what he wanted to hear.

 

o-o-o-o

 

Half an hour after the Raleigh and Mako returned from their mission, the pair of them were already out of their drive suits and into comfortable clothing again. Mako excused herself to her quarters, wanting to shower and freshen up before meeting the others for dinner in the mess hall. Raleigh, on the other hand, was far too curious about something else.

 

Raleigh had seen Chuck Hansen slip out of the crowd not long after their arrival, and the man had exchanged a nervous, yet stoic nod before the young ranger made his exit. Raleigh noted the direction Chuck was heading; the office of Stacker Pentecost. No doubt Chuck was going to give a report to the Marshall regarding what exactly happened out at the Miracle Mile.

 

The blond pilot turned to enter his own quarters when something caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. It was the Hansen’s dog, Max. He was heading right for Raleigh, a solemn look on his bulldog face.

 

“Hey boy, what’s up?” Raleigh asked the dog, kneeling down to pet him on the head. Max licked at his fingers, covering the ranger’s hand in saliva. “Where’s Chuck? Did he kick you out in one of his temper tantrums?” he laughed.

 

Raleigh stood up, but Max continued to beg for his attention. The young man couldn’t help but feel sorry for the mutt, having Chuck as an owner. Then again, Max was about the only creature Raleigh had seen Chuck give any sort of respect or affection to, so maybe the dog had it made.

 

“Come on, boy, let’s get you back to your family before Chuck comes down the warpath and blames me for you being out and about,” the ranger said. He reached down for Max’s leash, which had been dragging behind the dog the entire time. He gave a gentle tug as he began to walk toward Chuck and Herc’s quarters on the far end of the building.

 

_Do you think it’s easy for me, sending my own goddamned son off to his death in the middle of the Pacific? At least your girl is supposed to come back in the plan!_

 

The familiar voice of Hercules Hansen arguing with Marshall Pentecost behind closed doors was disturbing. Raleigh had seen Herc act completely in control and calm, and he seemed to take authority seriously, so it shocked him to hear the Australian being insubordinate

 

_Can’t we wait? Just a few days, until my arm heals enough. At least then… At least then I can die with him!_

Herc’s voice quivered as he spoke, the man obviously about to have a breakdown. What confused Raleigh, however, was the fact that Herc seemed so sure that Chuck was going to not come back from this mission. As far as Raleigh knew, everyone was expected to return safely.

 

_We can’t wait, Hansen. Herc. The Triple Event is coming and the sooner we put the drop on them, the better chance we have. If we wait too long, our chance is shot. I’m sorry._

Raleigh hated Pentecost at that moment, but at the same time he knew the Marshall was right. They really had only one chance before things got much worse, and with only two Jaegers their chances were getting slimmer by the minute. They had to take this chance now, and unfortunately Herc was going to have to sit this one out.

 

_Who’s gonna pilot Striker then? You can’t expect my son to go it alone now can you? Who else is gonna drift with the boy? With all that shit in his head, it’s hard enough for me to drift with him. Who else is gonna handle it?_

The blond had to snicker slightly at that comment. Even Herc was admitting his own son was a handful and not exactly going to be easy to work with.

 

_Me. I’ll copilot Striker. I take nothing into the drift. You and I jockeyed for years together. He’s your son; that’s close enough for me. We’ll drift just fine._

The sounds Raleigh heard coming from the room could only be described as primal. Screams that had no logical combination of words in them followed by the slamming of objects, more pained cries, and then wracked sobs from the man who was Hercules Hansen. Now the man was simply a blubbering pile of sorrow, and Raleigh had to feel for the man. Chuck was an asshole, but he didn’t deserve to die, and Herc didn’t deserve to have to watch him go without him.

 

Having heard enough of the nervous breakdown, Raleigh tugged Max further along down the hall until he reached the door marked “Hansen” in black-stenciled lettering. He glanced down at Max, who’s big eyes implored him to knock.

 

Raleigh knocked.

 

The door swung open so fast that Raleigh almost fell forward right into Chuck.

 

“Oi, watch it, Becket!” Chuck said pointedly. “What’re ya doin’ here? Hey, why d’ya have my dog? Come on, Max,” he blurted out quickly, patting his leg to call his dog to him. Max looked up at Raleigh, then at Chuck, back at Raleigh, and again back at Chuck.

 

“Oh, come on, really, Max? Don’t give me that look,” Chuck sighed. He rolled his eyes then looked at Raleigh. “Why don’t ya come in, have a beer or something. For bringing Max back, not that he really needed help. He knows this place like the back of his paw.”

 

Surprised by the sudden invitation, Raleigh let loose of Max’s leash and followed the dog into the room.

 

“Oi, close the door you sod,” Chuck barked. “Don’t ya have any home trainin’?”

 

“Yeah, sorry,” Raleigh said, shutting the door behind him. He took a moment to take in his new surroundings. It wasn’t any larger than Raleigh’s own, except it had a bed on each side of the room instead of just one. Herc’s side was regulation to the T, but Chuck’s bed was made neatly as well, except the pillow was against the wall where the man must have been leaning while he was sitting on the bed. A small device sat nearby, one that Raleigh recognized as a personal music player.

 

“Here’s your beer, mate. Not the best stuff in the world but better than the lager shit they have in the mess,” Chuck said, tossing a can to Raleigh.

 

Raleigh opened the can and took a few sips, but Chuck tossed his head back and chugged, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

 

“So uh, what were you up to? I mean, I didn’t interrupt anything did I?” Raleigh asked, halfheartedly attempting conversation.

 

Chuck cut him a quick glare, but then noticed something a little ‘off’ about the older ranger. He paused a moment and then answered him. “I was listening to some music if you must know.”

 

“Anything good?”

 

Chuck nodded toward the player on the bed, giving Raleigh permission to browse through it. The blond picked it up and started to scroll through the list of songs. He didn’t recognize a lot of them, but then again, the name of the playlist at the top of the screen was ‘Really Old Oldies’, so he couldn’t expect to know a whole lot of the artists.

 

“M’old man got me listening to most of that shit. Was popular in his day even if it was old back then.”

 

Raleigh smirked. “I figured. Let’s see, I’ll try something random,” he said, pushing the ‘random’ button on the screen. Song titles flashed by at the speed of light until it settled on one.

 

The song was mellow and slow, calming even. Raleigh had expected hard rock, even if it was over two decades old, but instead he was surprised as the music echoed through the room. He began to shake his head side to side with the beat, the corner of his mouth turning up in a slight smile.

 

Raleigh’s smile turned to a curious frown, however, when he noticed the look on Chuck’s face as the chorus began.

 

_I wanna know what love is. I want you to show me. I wanna feel what love is. I know you can show me._

Chuck darted forward and snatched the player out of Raleigh’s hand, quickly pushing the power switch and stopping the music. He threw it back on his bed with more force than necessary.

 

“Alright, you got your beer, thank you for bringing Max back, now on your way, Ray,” Chuck blurted out. He still refused to look Raleigh in the face.

 

Raleigh didn’t move. He simply stood there, looking at the younger ranger inquisitively. Were Chuck’s eyes red? Were they wetter than usual?

 

“Chuck?”

 

“I said on your way,” the Australian hissed. “How else do I need to say it? Would you rather I just say fuck off?”

 

“No. No, I’m not gonna be on my way. I’m not gonna fuck off,” Raleigh said coolly. “I’m gonna stay right here.” His tone wasn’t one of irritation, but rather a pleasant assertiveness. The tone of a concerned… friend.

 

Chuck finally met eyes with Raleigh as he got in his face, their chests touching, Chuck breathing heavily in anger. “I said, fuck off, _Rah_ leigh. Or do we need a little motivation to get you movin’?” he roared, flexing his fists, his knuckles cracking.

 

Raleigh did something unexpected to both himself and Chuck. He wrapped his arms around the man in a tight hug. The motion surprised him just as much as the other ranger, but the truly enigmatic action was the fact that Chuck didn’t pull back. Instead, he let himself be embraced.

 

“What are you doing?” the young ranger asked in a soft tone that was alien to Raleigh. He had never heard Chuck speak in any way that wasn’t at last partially hostile, but now the man was speaking just above a whisper.

 

“I’m hugging you, Chuck. Something I don’t think you’ve had in a long, long time.”

 

Raleigh could feel Chuck swallow uncomfortably against his shoulder. “When was the last time…?”

 

“I… I don’t remember. Dad… Dad and I, we don’t hug,” the redhead admitted.

 

“Chuck, put your arms around me. Hug me back,” Raleigh whispered. “Hug me back.”

 

Hesitantly, the Australian wrapped his arms around the American ranger, letting his chin rest on Raleigh’s shoulder as he did so. He felt the older man’s strong hands begin to run up and down his back—not erotically, but in a sense of comfort. Comfort, an emotion Chuck hadn’t felt in ages.

 

“See, not so bad, is it?” Raleigh teased slightly. “Doesn’t this feel nice? To have someone else so close to you?”

 

“Yes,” Chuck choked out. He cleared his throat before continuing. “It feels… comforting. Safe. I forgot how this felt.”

 

Raleigh had to admit that it had been a long time for himself since he had been so close to someone. He and Yancy had always exchanged half-hugs the way most young men would, and both Yancy and Mako had been inside his head, but this physical closeness was something he missed. And to think, he was getting it back with Chuck Hansen of all people.

 

Chuck finally pulled back gently, almost hesitantly until they were only about a foot away from each other. He wouldn’t look at the other ranger now, almost as if embarrassed or unsure.

 

“Why are you doing this?”

 

Raleigh smiled fully, not a big toothy grin of mischief, but a friendly gesture nonetheless. “I know about Pitfall. I know they don’t expect you to come back.”

 

“What’s that got to do with anything?” Chuck asked, his snarky tone beginning to reappear.

 

The older ranger took a deep breath before he answered. “You told me before you wanted to come back from this mission. You said you liked your life, and I won’t argue about how untrue I think that statement is, but I think… I think you need to know what love is. Like the song says.”

 

“I need to know what love is? What the fuck is that supposed to mean Ray- uh Raleigh?”

 

“Wouldn’t you feel pretty empty inside if you left this world having never experienced what it’s like to love someone, to be loved by someone?” the blond asked, staring at Chuck, hoping to catch the kid’s gaze the moment he looked up.

 

Chuck avoided Raleigh’s stare, embarrassed that a tear was sliding down his cheek. He swallowed back a choke as he forced himself to remain stoic. His guise was faltering, however.

 

“Chuck, it’s okay. You can cry,” Raleigh said, reaching forward with his fingertips and touching the other ranger’s cheek where the tear had rested. He carefully urged Chuck’s head up, almost begging him to meet eyes.

 

“A Hansen doesn’t cry, you sod,” Chuck attempted to hiss, but instead it came out unsteady.

 

Raleigh chuckled. “Yeah, they do. They do. I’m seeing a Hansen cry right now. And I know a Hansen cried not long ago, right in the Marshall’s office. He probably still is right now.”

 

Chuck finally looked up and stared back at Raleigh. “What do you mean?”

 

“Your dad, Chuck. Your dad. I heard them in Pentecost’s office. Your dad was begging for him to wait until he was healed up enough to go with you.” Raleigh paused a moment to let that thought sink in. “He didn’t want you to go it alone. He didn’t want you to go without him. When the Marshall told him there was no choice but to go on, your dad lost it. I could hear him. He smashed things. He yelled. He cried. For you Chuck. He cried for you.”

 

Chuck let out a sniffle, literally swallowed back his pride, and then let tears flow down his cheeks, all the while locked in the eyes of the elder ranger.

 

“Your dad loves you, Chuck. More than you know. He’d kill me if he knew I had told you about this. Luckily he doesn’t know I heard them. Your dad loves you. He doesn’t want you to go it alone. He doesn’t want to be without you. You without him. _That_ right there is a kind of love. Love you never even knew you had.”

 

“But the drift… How did he hide that?”

 

Raleigh smirked. “You’d be amazed at what a ranger can hide in the drift. Herc’s been in the game longer than both of us put together. He’s mastered how to hide things in his head, even in the drift.”

 

“But why? Why would he hide that from me?”

 

The blond shrugged. “I don’t have an answer for that, but maybe he thought it would help push you along. Maybe he was ashamed for you to see him have those kind of emotions. I don’t know. He may not even know. But Chuck, your dad loves you so much. Don’t you want that back? Don’t you want to come back to that?”

 

Chuck coughed in an effort to hide his quivering voice but to no avail. “Come back to what? More secrets? Him hiding it from me?”

 

Raleigh shook his head. “No. You would ask him. You would go to him, and talk. Like grown men should. You’d sit down and talk, heart to heart.”

 

Chuck tried to scoff but it came out as a wheeze instead. “So what? So what?”

 

“Admit it, Chuck. You want that. You want to know your dad loves you. You want him to hug you. You want to hug him. You want the hostility to end. You want to be a family again. A real family. Herc and Chuck Hansen, a family, not the Jaeger pilots.”

 

No argument came to Chuck’s mind. Raleigh was right. He did want to feel family again. He wanted to get rid of the Kaiju, be done with Jaegers and drifting and the war. He wanted to hug his dad, tell him he loved him too.

 

“I know what else you want, too, Chuck,” Raleigh interrupted the redhead’s thoughts. He expected a sarcastic ‘What?’ but instead just received a blank stare. “You want your own family. You want a wife and kids and you want to be a father.”

 

“No!” Chuck declared. “No, I don’t want that!”

 

Raleigh raised an eyebrow and broke their visual connection. “You don’t want a wife and kids? You don’t want to come home to some little baby Chucks saying ‘welcome home daddy!’ after a long day at work?”

 

“No. No I don’t.”

 

“Then what _do_ you want Chuck? Don’t you want someone to hug you everyday, someone to kiss you, say ‘I love you’ and—“

 

“I don’t want a wife, goddammit! I want something else! I don’t want a fucking wife!” Chuck shouted. The man was furious, shaking.

 

“Then what? What do you want Chuck? Tell me!” Raleigh shouted back.

 

“Iwantahusband,” the younger ranger mumbled, looking away.

 

“What was that?” Raleigh had heard him, just barely, but he wanted Chuck to say it again. To say it with confidence.

 

“I said I wanted a bloody husband you fucking moron!” Chuck cried out, not caring if anyone out in the hall could hear through the door.

 

Raleigh smiled. “That’s what I thought you said.”

 

“Aren’t you disgusted?  Aren’t you gonna call me names? Fruit loop? Queer? Pansy? Aren’t you gonna sock me in the face?” Chuck challenged harshly. “Come on, _Rah_ leigh! I know you want to just—“ Chuck stopped. He couldn’t think of anything else to say. It didn’t make sense.

 

“No. No, I’m not disgusted, Chuck. I’m not gonna call you names or hit you. I’m gonna hug you,” Raleigh insisted, doing just that. He hugged Chuck, tighter than he had before. “I’m gonna hug you and just tell you that I want the same thing, so I understand.”

 

Chuck’s brow furrowed. Had he heard the man right? Did Raleigh Becket just admit that he, too, wanted to be with a man?

 

“I do, Chuck. I want to come home to a man who loves me. A man I love back. That’s what you want too.”

 

The Australian didn’t deny it, didn’t struggle, just gave in and hugged Raleigh back. This time however, he buried his head in the man’s shoulder and bawled. He bawled like a baby for the first time since his father had told him his mother had died, and it felt good. Cathartic.

 

“So see, now you have to come back. You have no choice. If you die, you’ll never have that. If you come back, you can have it all you want. You can have anything you want. You can hug your dad, you can tell him you love him, you can find a man and be happy with him.”

 

“How the fuck am I supposed to come back from this? I’m dropping a fucking bomb in the middle of the ocean. I’m on a suicide mission. Everyone knows it, so what the hell am I gonna do?”

 

“We’ll figure something out. Striker has escape pods. Automation. We’ll figure it out and you’ll come back.”

 

Chuck sighed and let himself fall limp on Raleigh’s strong frame. “I promise you Chuck, we’ll find a way for you to come back with me.”

 

“I want to come back. I don’t wanna die. I’m scared,” Chuck admitted. He pulled back and laughed, wiping his eyes. “I bet you never thought you’d hear that, eh? Chuck Hansen admitting he’s scared.”

 

Instead of laughing, smiling, or saying anything at all, Raleigh leaned forward, pulled Chuck back into the embrace, and gently placed his lips against the younger ranger’s.

 

Chuck closed his eyes and took the kiss. He let Raleigh’s tongue invade his mouth and he let himself fall into the blissful feeling of the intimacy.

 

After what seemed like a lifetime, they broke the kiss and the hug and looked at each other, both unsure what to say next. It was Chuck who shattered the awkward silence.

 

“So uh, now what? What was that about, eh?”

 

Raleigh smiled for the millionth time. “Look, Chuck. We don’t get along for shit. You’re an asshole and I’m the nice guy. But… oh god I can’t believe I am saying this. When we come back, I want to try us.”

 

“Us?” Chuck asked, puzzled.

 

“Yeah. I want to see if things work out. Even if they don’t, I think it’ll be a good step for us both.”

 

Chuck nodded. “Yeah, maybe so. I’m scared.”

 

“Me too. Me too. But we’ll get through it together. As friends, right?”

 

“Yeah, I guess so. At least as friends, and maybe more if we give it a shot. Two people can’t share all this shit we just shared and not be pals,” the redhead confessed. “But I’m scared about my old man. What will he think?”

 

Raleigh laughed openly. “Charles Hansen, seriously? You didn’t even know you could hide things in the drift until a few minutes ago. Do you think your dad has no idea about who you are? He won’t love you any less! He wants to see his son happy.”

 

“I hope so. But—“

 

“No buts. He’ll be fine. He’ll be fine, and we’re both coming back from this mission. The first thing you’re gonna do when you walk through that bulkhead door is hug your dad and tell him you love him. Then we’re gonna shower and change and we’re gonna go on our first date and see what happens from there. We might just actually like each other,” Raleigh informed him as if it were the most profound thing ever said.

 

“Ray? Raleigh? _Rah_ leigh?” Chuck asked in a way that was both playful and mischievous. “I’m scared shitless, but… will you lay with me? Just there on that bed. Lay down with me to take a nap. Hold on to me?”

 

“I’d be happy to, Chuck. I’d be happy to,” Raleigh replied.

 

No more words were exchanged as the two men moved to the bed and lay down, Chuck spooning into Raleigh’s chest, letting the older man hold on to him.

 

“We’re gonna take a nap and when we wake up, everything’s gonna be okay. We’re gonna fuck this breach up, come home, and it’s gonna all be okay,” Raleigh assured him.

 

Chuck sighed contentedly but said nothing. He hoped and prayed that Raleigh was right. At least for the time being he was in the warm embrace of a man with the knowledge that his father loved him, and that he had a new friend. A new friend and prospect for maybe something more.

 

o-o-o-o

 

Hercules Hansen stepped into the quarters he shared with his son, his face filled with the deepest sorrow. He was preparing himself to have the rest of his nervous breakdown right in the privacy of his room, assuming Chuck would be off with Max somewhere, but instead he looked over at Chuck’s bed.

 

Herc found himself smiling at the sight of his son, laying on his bed asleep, the arms of ranger Raleigh Becket holding on to him, Max at the foot of the bed, also asleep. He leaned down carefully, not wanting to wake them, whispering into his son’s ear.

 

“I love you, son.”

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  _Author's Notes: I had not intended to make another part to this fluff shot, but it was so well received, and a deal was made with SublimeDiscordance that if I wrote more of my fluff shot, he would write more of the smut shot, so hands were digitally shaken and the deal was sealed. I appreciate the feedback on this one though, because I really have had little experience writing pure fluff!_  
>  **  
> Beta Credit:** SublimeDiscordance

**Hong Kong, One Hour After the Completion of Operation Pitfall**

Herc Hansen sat as still as a statue in the waiting area of the medical wing of the Shatterdome. His eyes were empty and hollow, and anyone walking by would have assumed he had gone catatonic. This wasn't even much of a medical wing. There were two operating rooms, one per pilot assuming a single jaeger fell, and half a dozen patient rooms along with a single consultation room. All of it was sterile white, the smell of antiseptics wafting through the hall. The waiting area consisted of five very uncomfortable chairs and a single bench on which Herc was currently perched. 

Next to Herc, lying on his side in a failing attempt at sleep, was Raleigh Becket. He was curled up in a fetal position, ready to fall off of the small bench if anyone even brushed by his overhanging feet, a bunched up jacket under his head. His eyes were closed, though only because he was afraid he would catch a glimpse of a nurse coming toward them with a grim look on her face. He didn't want to see a nurse until they could tell him some good news; otherwise he just wanted everyone else to fuck off.

Raleigh found himself wondering at one point if Herc was even still alive or if the man had simply gone from life, just willing himself to die right then and there, but the stone-faced man finally coughed just loud enough to put the question out of his head. 

Another half hour passed by before the painful silence in the waiting room was broken by Raleigh.

"I failed him. I'm sorry. I failed him," Raleigh mumbled. His eyes were still closed, but now there were wet streaks down the sides of his face. 

Herc reached over with his good arm and scratched Raleigh's head the way one would comfort a small child. "How did you fail him, kid? You followed your orders. He followed his. I can't hold you responsible for what happened," he said solemnly. "You cared. That's what mattered."

Raleigh sighed, not believing a word the older man was saying. "I promised him, Herc. I promised him we would find a way for him to come back. To make it back here, alive and safe. I didn't do that. I didn't keep my promise."

"Becket, stop that talk now," Herc admonished softly. "You cared enough to try. It was a long shot at best, we all knew that. Nobody knew exactly how the escape pod would tolerate the bomb."

The younger ranger squeezed his eyes shut even tighter, fighting back an oncoming torrent of sobs. Tears had already escaped, but what was coming was a tidal wave of emotion and crying. 

"It was a good a plan as any given the situation. The fact you tried, it means the world to me, and I know it meant so much to Chuck. It still will, if he—"

"When!" Raleigh interrupted loudly, sitting up as his eyes shot open. "Not if! When! When he wakes up! He just has to!"

The plan had been to activate Chuck's escape pod just before Stacker would activate the atomic bomb. That part went fine, aside from the fact that Chuck banged his head on the end of the pod as he lay back in it. The part that didn't go so smoothly was that the escape chute the pod was meant to eject from was bent from where Striker Eureka had been slammed into the rock wall. It wasn't even bent that much, just enough to cause the pod to stick. 

Chuck had shifted his weight around in the pod until it slid past the damaged chute, shooting out of Striker's head like a cannonball. Unfortunately the delay meant he wasn't going to be as far away from the explosion as they had hoped, so the trip ashore was a hell of a lot rougher than first expected.

The force of the blast sent Chuck's escape pod rocketing upward, slamming into various chunks of kaiju remains, rock, and pieces of Striker itself. By the time the pod surfaced, it was leaking air and taking in water, and the pressurized pocket for the person inside was hissing. As for Chuck himself, he was unconscious and his body looked like he had been on the losing end of a street fight. Blood covered his face, his flesh was bruised and cut in several places where pieces of the drivesuit had cracked or broken off. 

The rescue helicopters actually found Chuck's capsule much sooner than Mako or Raleigh's since they were just entering the breach at that point, and due to poor communications in Gipsy Danger's damaged conn pod, the two pilots had no idea their comrade had been rescued. In very poor shape, but rescued.

Herc pulled the fretting man into a one-armed hug. "You’re right kid, I'm sorry. When. I'm just so scared, mate. They said this surgery was critical and I've never really put much faith in medics."

And critical it was. Right at this moment, with Raleigh and Herc in the waiting room, Chuck was still unconscious, in the middle of a risky surgery. One of his ribs had broken and was dangerously close to his heart. If the doctors weren't careful enough, the jagged bone could pierce Chuck's heart and kill him. 

A nurse with, not a grim face, but a stern look across her lips, entered the waiting room. "Mr. Hansen? Mr. Becket? Charles is in the recovery room now. He made it through the surgery just fine," the nurse said, her voice more soothing than her expression. 

"Chuck. Call him Chuck. Nobody knows him by Charles," Raleigh insisted. If the nurse was put off by Raleigh’s correction, she gave no outward sign, apparently used to such things. 

"Yes, of course, Chuck. Chuck is in recovery and now we are waiting for him to wake up," she said. 

"Did they get everything out okay? Is his heart okay? His lungs? His head?" Herc asked in a rush. "He didn't have any other bones broken, right? No spinal injuries?"

Raleigh placed his hand on Herc's shoulder, encouraging him to calm down. 

"Mr. Hansen, all of that is fine. They were able to reset the broken bone so that it will heal in place just fine. I will warn you, he will still look a bit disheveled because he is covered in bruises and has numerous cuts, none of them fatal. All of that will heal in time."

"What about his head? Why was there so much blood on his face? They said there was blood all over him. Why?" Herc asked next. "It's not brain damage is it?"

The nurse was silent. 

"Is it!?" Herc asked more aggressively, standing up. "Is it brain damage? Is my son going to be..."

Raleigh would have attempted to calm Herc down again but he was suddenly feeling in an uproar himself. Why was the nurse not answering? Why wasn't she saying anything?

"He was bleeding from a cut on his head. The injury itself was nothing to worry about, despite the amount of blood. What's to be concerned with, however, is the fact that he has yet to regain consciousness, and we have no estimate for when that may be. We had no choice but to give him anesthesia in case he did wake up, after all we didn't want him to wake mid-surgery. That would be the stuff of nightmares, really. Our primary concern is the possibility that he sustained a concussion," the nurse explained. She tried to put a positive spin on the announcement, but no amount of intonation could distract from what she was saying.

Chuck was comatose, with no estimate of when he may come out of it, if ever. 

"C-c-can we see him now?" Raleigh stuttered. Herc was in such a state of upset that he couldn't muster the strength to speak. "Please?"

The nurse cocked her head in thought, knowing full well that it wasn't standard procedure to let visitors into the recovery room with patients, but then again this was a very different situation.

"This man just destroyed the breach,” Herc began, gesturing at Raleigh with his hand. “He saved the world. Doesn’t that get him some sort of clout? Some pull? I’m a man of regulation but damn, can’t you make an exception? We’ve got to see our Chuck!" he begged. Raleigh smiled inwardly the way Herc called him 'our Chuck' as if the man belonged to both of them. In a way, Chuck did belong to them. Herc was his father and Raleigh had suddenly become his closest friend, possibly more once this was all over, so it was an accurate description. 

The nurse cracked a smile. "I suppose we can break the rules this once. How can I say no to the men who saved us all? It’ll have to be short, though. I'll take you to pre-op so you can gown-up and then I'll take you to recovery to see him. Like I said, so far he’s been unresponsive, but some people do believe that even comatose persons are able to hear, sense, and feel their loved ones. You may want to keep that in mind during your visit."

Both Raleigh and Herc bathed the woman with gratitude, following her anxiously to where they could properly prepare themselves before seeing their wounded warrior.

o-o-o-o-o

**One Week Later...**

Raleigh stopped at the nurse's station, asking the same question he had every day this week. "How's he doing today?"

The nurse forced a smile, but she knew the man before her was already aware of the answer. "Chuck is still the same. His father hasn't moved from his side despite our encouragement."

The ranger nodded, the reply exactly what he expected. 

"Mr. Becket? Could you try to get Mr. Hansen to... Could you get him to get out of the room, even for a little while? He needs to walk around, eat a proper meal, get some sleep. I know he has to go to the bathroom, but he refuses to let go of his son's hand and we're really worried about him. If Mr. Hansen refuses to let himself function on a basic level, he'll never be able to give Chuck the proper care he will need when he finally wakes up," the nurse asked, genuine concern in her eyes. 

"I'll do my best, but he's almost as stubborn as his son," Raleigh said, trying to put a lighthearted spin on it but failing miserably. 

The nurse nodded and watched the ranger as he entered Chuck's room. It pained the woman to see a hero in such agony, and even more to see a father who was hanging on desperately to the hope that his own flesh and blood would soon recover from such an uncertain fate. 

"Herc? You need to get out of here for a while," Raleigh said in a firm, yet comforting tone. "The nurses are worried they’ll end up with a second patient if you don't get something to eat."

“No,” Herc said sternly. “I’m not leaving. He might wake up.”

Raleigh sighed. He sympathized with the man, but he also knew the nurses were right. If either one of them didn't take care of themselves, they would be no use to Chuck if—when, the younger ranger reminded himself, not if—he came out of the coma. 

“Herc, listen,” the blond began. “I’ll stay with him, I promise. I won’t let go of his hand the entire time you’re gone. But you need to have a meal. You need a shower, and you need to sleep, in a bed.”

Herc looked up at Raleigh with tired eyes. “I know. But kid, I…“ He paused a moment, sighing. “I’m afraid to leave ‘im.”

Raleigh knelt down next to the man and pried his sweaty hand away from Chuck’s. He took hold of the unconscious man’s hand, intertwining their fingers. “See? I got him. I won’t let go. I’ll stay right here, all day, all night. If he wakes before you get back, I’ll call you.”

The older man opened his mouth to make one more protest, but Raleigh gave him a look that said ‘don’t fuck with me’. 

“Don’t let go, not even for a second,” Herc warned. Hesitantly, he turned to leave. As soon as the door was shut, Raleigh let out a sigh of relief. On top of everything else going on, seeing Hercules Hansen getting so emotional was unsettling. Raleigh looked at Chuck, the redhead’s chest slowly moving up and down in a steady rhythm. 

Raleigh hadn’t yet had a private moment with Chuck; Herc had always been right there by Chuck’s side, holding onto his son’s hand, desperately waiting to feel something. Anything. Now was Raleigh’s one chance to talk to his friend, alone. He was a full believer in the idea that someone who was comatose still had certain senses about them and he was certain that Chuck would be able to hear him.

“Hey…” the blond began in a soft, broken voice. “I uh, I wanted to say I’m sorry. For everything. I wish I could have done more. It was a half-assed plan, but I couldn’t think of anything else. I’m surprised the Marshall even went along with it, but I think it was out of respect for your old man. It definitely wasn’t for me. I just wish I had something better. I hope you’ll forgive me in there.”

Small tears were streaming down the man’s face. “You know you gotta wake up though, right? I mean, we made an agreement and I expect you to keep your word. Even if I didn’t do the best job on my end, you’re Chuck Hansen. You do everything better. You’re the best. Thirteen kaiju kills, right? Only Chuck Hansen could do that…”

He stopped talking for a while, unsure of how much time may have passed, trying to gather his thoughts. There was so much he wanted to say, but so much he was unsure about as well. 

“Hey, Chuck? You wanted to know what love is, right?” Raleigh began again. “Love is your dad sitting here for a week, not letting go of your hand because he’s terrified he might miss that moment.”

Raleigh knew that he himself didn’t love Chuck the way his father did, nor the way a boyfriend would. He and Chuck had literally just become friends, but he cared for the younger ranger immensely. He was brave, confident. He might be an asshole sometimes, but Chuck had his good points.

“You know, we’re supposed to go on a date together. You can’t chicken out on me, leave me hanging like this. If you keep making me wait, you’re footing the bill, and I’m a big eater. Can you imagine how much food I can order? You’ll be selling leftover jaeger parts just to afford dinner.” 

Raleigh laughed at his own humor, unsure if he was truly wanting Chuck to hear these things, or if he was saying them for his own comfort. 

“Come on man, just fucking wake up already!” Raleigh cried out. “Wake up and give me a chance to learn to love you! We’ll never get to find out if you don’t come back. You won’t even get a chance to call me Rahleigh again. Or Ray, or anything but my name the regular way. You’ll never get to…”

The ranger’s words tapered off; he couldn’t think of anything else to say. His mouth was dry and his eyes were sore and wet. His head ached and his entire body felt exhausted. He hadn't been sitting there anywhere near as long as Herc had been, but already he was wearing out emotionally. 

Raleigh wasn't sure when he fell asleep, but he did and he was fortunate—it was dreamless. The past couple of nights he had dreamt of Chuck. Chuck having never went on the mission, leaving Stacker to pilot Coyote Tango, alone, into the breach with the bomb strapped to it. The other dream seemed like a continuation with Chuck and Raleigh piloting Striker Eureka together, going to the Atlantic rim to stomp out a baby kaiju. 

The entire time Raleigh slept, he never once let go of Chuck's hand. Their fingers stayed laced together despite becoming sweaty. Raleigh never felt the cramps coming in as the muscles never moved. 

A couple of hours later, Raleigh woke up, his heart sinking when he saw there was no change in Chuck's condition. He let a slight smile cross his lips when he saw that he had never released his grip.

He found himself wondering if Chuck's body felt any cramping or discomfort from laying there for almost a week. Of course he would hurt from the surgery, but did his back hurt from laying in that same position? Did his arms ache from not moving them? Did his head hurt from lack of food? Chuck had an IV going into his arm to provide nutrition but did that prevent a hunger headache? Did the IV keep his stomach from growling?

Another couple of hours passed by and Herc Hansen came back into the room. He hadn't been gone all day like Raleigh and the nurses wanted him to, but he couldn't stand being away from his son. All attempts at sleep had failed and he was barely able to eat half a sandwich, but it was an improvement from the previous days. 

Herc couldn't help but smile at the scene before him. Raleigh still had Chuck's hand in his grip, but Raleigh had laid his head down on the bed and using his free arm as a pillow, fallen asleep. He sat down next to the blond's head and ran his fingers through the boy's hair soothingly like he had to Chuck when he was little. Herc had no idea about Raleigh and Chuck's agreement to go on a date, but he found himself silently wishing to himself that his son would somehow find happiness with this man; this man who stayed by his side so diligently even after their rocky working relationship.

Herc stared down at his son, then at Raleigh, and back to his son. They both looked so peaceful. He moved to the opposite side of the bed and took Chuck's other hand. If there was any way for Chuck to sense it, he knew he was loved. By father and friend.

Raleigh woke up abruptly, his eyes wide open and his breath in panicked gasps.

"What's wrong!? Are you okay?" Herc cried, startled by the sudden movement and almost falling off the bedside. 

"I felt him! I felt him, Herc! His fingers! They flexed! I felt him!" Raleigh announced excitedly. "Come on Chuck, do it again!"

Hope filled Herc's and Raleigh's hearts as they waited impatiently for... There it was again! And again, this time his left hand and Herc felt it for himself.

"I feel it too! There, he did it again! Stronger, too!" Herc exclaimed. 

Two nurses burst into the room, throwing open the door. Before either one of them could ask what was going on, the two men shouted to them.

"He's waking up!"

"His fingers are moving. On both hands," Raleigh explained quickly. "Several times, not just once!"

One of the nurses, the one who had originally told the men about Chuck's condition earlier in the week, rushed to the bed, squeezing in next to Raleigh. She punched several buttons on a panel above the bedside, information flying by at lightning speed. 

"His vitals are looking good," the nurse, Nancy, said calmly. "Better than they have been." She continued scrolling through screens of information, numbers and graphs and lines becoming blurs. "These are all signs of a coma patient coming out of it."

The other nurse had retreated back to the nurses' station to call the doctor but she could hear the excitement all the way down the hall. The young man, one of the heroes who destroyed the breach, was definitely rejoining the waking world.

o-o-o-o-o

"Did we get the fucking bastard?" rasped the voice of a very worn Chuck Hansen. "God what the fuck happened to me? My chest hurts like hell!"

Raleigh and Herc both exchanged smiles and then burst into laughter. "Yeah, yeah we got 'em. Blew them sky high and closed the breach for good," Raleigh said proudly. He pulled Chuck's hand up to his mouth and kissed it. 

"Oi, mate! My old man's right here!" Chuck protested only half-heartedly. 

“That’s my smart-arsed boy” Herc said. "Thought I might never get you back," he added, trying to downplay his relief. A million more thoughts were running through Herc’s head, but his emotional constipation wouldn’t allow him to express it. 

Chuck scoffed despite the dryness in his throat. "Even an atomic bomb can't get rid of me. Now somebody get me some fucking water! I'm parched!"

Nurse Nancy smirked, scooting behind Raleigh and filling a cup with some ice water. "Mouthy kid, isn't he?" she said with a grin. “Most people aren’t so coherent when they come out of a coma. I guess we just got lucky here.”

Herc gently thunked Chuck on the forehead. "You can blame that one on me. I shoulda gave him an arse beating more often, might have cleaned his mouth up."

Chuck rolled his eyes as he took the cup and began to chug the water down. "Would someone please tell me why my chest hurts like a bitch?"

Herc and Raleigh looked at the nurse, her cue to explain. 

"During the mission you broke a rib and it was dangerously close to your heart. If we didn't take surgical action, it could have pierced your heart and killed you. Lucky for you, with today's technology, you shouldn't scar."

"You're gonna be itching for days though. They had to shave your chest," Raleigh said with a slight giggle. "I tried to get them to shave a kaiju-hazard symbol into the hair but they wouldn't do it."

Chuck lifted up the sheets and peeked beneath the gown. "At least you left that hair alone. I couldn't stand lookin' like a little boy. And what the fuck is that sticking out of me? It hurts, god dammit!"

"That's a catheter, Chuck. Keeps you from pissing all over yourself," Nancy said. All three men looked at her like she was crazy. "What? Everyone else was talking like that," she said sheepishly. 

"Well get it out of me! I feel like I'm being tentacle raped by a kaiju or something!" the redhead barked.

Raleigh looked over at Nancy and shrugged. "Priorities," he said with a smile.

"I'll get that out shortly. We have a few other things to take care of as well, but I'll let you visit together a little longer."

Chuck glared at the older redhead while he chugged another cup of water. "Oi, old man quit staring at me, it's weird," he complained.

Herc couldn't help it. He was grinning like a child on Christmas morning, basking in the glow of his revived son. "Can't help it. Just so glad to see you again."

"Well be happy in a way that isn't creepy," the young pilot said firmly. He shifted his eyes toward Raleigh, who gave him a knowing glare. The look reminded Chuck of something the two pilots had talked about before. "Like uh, how about a hug, old man?"

The request shocked Herc at first. He couldn't remember the last time he and his son had hugged, let alone the last time Chuck had asked for a hug, but right now he was not about to decline. He leaned down and carefully gave Chuck a one armed hug-the best he could do under the circumstances. For good measure, he kissed the boy on the forehead as well before pulling back.

"I love you son. I never said it enough out loud. The drift doesn't count," Herc said.

"I love you too, old man," Chuck said, his heart actually feeling fuller at the words he had not spoken in half a decade at least. "What, you're not gonna bitch about being called old man?"

Herc grinned. "Don't call me 'old man' you little shit," he said. 

"There, that's better," Chuck said. "Now as for you," he added, turning his head to look at Raleigh. "We had a deal, right? So let's get to it then. I'm ready to get out of this bed. And get that goddamned thing out of me!"

Raleigh laughed. "Easy, easy. Our deal is still solid. You need to get better first. That surgery needs to finish healing up and you need to get back on your feet. And for the love of god you need a bath."

Chuck's face turned deep crimson with embarrassment. "Not like I had a lot of choice in the matter, Rahleigh."

"You don't know how glad I am to hear you actually say that. Chahrlie," Raleigh teased.

Chuck scowled, reached out for Raleigh's arm, and gently tugged, forcing the man to give him a hug. "Don't you ever call me that again." Raleigh giggled and wrapped his arm around the man's neck, trying not to lean too heavily on Chuck's chest. 

"Alright you guys, I really need to get going on getting Chuck back to the land of the living. We have a few things we need to do," the nurse announced.

"Like getting that thing out of my dick," Chuck pointed out. "Be careful while you're at it, eh? I need that."

Nurse Nancy grinned evilly. "Oh don't you know how we take them out? We grab onto the end and yank, just like starting an old-school gas engine. Just rip it right on out of there. Might hurt a little bit though," she said in as serious of a tone as possible.

Chuck's eyes went wider than silver dollars. "What!? Don't let this crazy bitch near me! I'll do it myself!" He stopped fussing when he realized that the nurse, Raleigh, and his father were all laughing hysterically. "Hey, what!?"

"I'm fucking with you, Mr. Hansen. Calm down," Nancy assured him. "What? I was just speaking with words he was familiar with," she added as the three men looked at her, even more surprised at her language this time. "Now, gentlemen, if you please."

"We'll see you in a little while, Chuck," Raleigh said, giving him another careful hug.

"Be good for the nurse, eh Chuck? This isn't the massage parlor. No happy endings," Herc added, also giving Chuck another hug. 

"Really dad? A happy ending? Get on out of here so she can set to work already!"

As the two men walked out of the room, they could hear Chuck behind them, calling out an order from the cafeteria despite the nurse's protests that he had to eat a special diet until the doctor cleared otherwise.

Turning the corner, Herc paused and looked at Raleigh. "So what is this deal you have with my son, eh?"

Raleigh smiled and looked the man in the eyes. "Well, we talked about it a bit before the mission and we agreed that if—no, when, we both came back, we were going to go on a date."

"A date? Like an actual date?"

"Yeah. I know that might be a lot to take in, but I know you've seen his feelings in the drift..."

"I know all that. I'm just glad after twenty-one years the little bastard is going on an actual date! I thought he was gonna have to go it alone until he was thirty at least with that nasty attitude he’s got," Herc said. He closed the distance between Raleigh and himself and hugged him tightly. "I'm glad you're the one, too. I like you, kid. If anyone has a chance of keeping my boy under control, it's you."

Raleigh laughed as they let go of the embrace. "You give me too much credit. Nobody will ever get your son under control. Maybe it's part of his charm."

Herc snorted. "If that's what you want to call it. I just want m'boy to be happy, and I hope you're the one to do it."

"I have high hopes, sir. I have high hopes."


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Author's Notes: Here we go, the last (probably) chapter in the I Wanna Know series. I must say that my first foray into fluff-ville hasn't been too bad and was a little bit of a nice break from my usual smut-filled stories. After this, I have to get some of my Glee-related pieces finished up, but I am certain we have not seen the last of Chaleigh. By the way I apologize for the extremely long delay between chapters. Life happens., most of the time out of our control. ^_^_
> 
>  
> 
>  **Beta Credit:** Sublime Discordance

**Shatterdome, Hong Kong**

Over the course of the weeks that followed the destruction of the Breach, things changed dramatically at the Shatterdome. With no jaegers left, and no need to make more, the majority of the mechanics and technicians returned home to their families and their normal jobs. 

The kaiju research team had not disbanded, wanting to continue their work on the few pieces that remained. They would have been happier off being sealed in the Breach with the kaiju, being able to spend the rest lives studying them constantly. 

As for the staff of the Shatterdome, most of them had left along with the mechanics. Some of the equipment was turned over to the various militaries, mostly the US and Australia. Whatever was left over was to be scrapped or sold on auction. 

All that remained were enough staff to clean the facility itself—the Chinese purchased the building to use for their upcoming space program—a handful to run basic operations necessary to operate the utilities, and three pilots. 

Raleigh Becket remained in his single room, alone, while Herc and Chuck Hansen kept their double. Herc had insisted on staying there despite the multitude of empty rooms because he wanted to keep an eye on Chuck and make sure he was going to be okay. By the fourth day of being out of the hospital, Chuck was back to his old self, telling his 'old man' to leave him the fuck alone.

Right now, Chuck and Herc were sitting in the caf’, which seemed much more massive than before without any other people in it. Herc had gone for Chinese take-out, which the two men were now chowing down on, ignoring the news broadcast playing on the large-screen monitor at the front end of the room. The past few days, the news had been filled with stories about what was being called “The Great Collapse” and the heroes who sealed the rift. While the interviews and media had quickly died down in the Shatterdome, thanks to PPDC officers, the broadcasts were still going on and on, Herc, Chuck, and Raleigh all sick of hearing about it. 

"So, when are you and Becket going on this date of yours?" the older redhead asked his son. 

Chuck shrugged. "I dunno."

"Well it better be soon. They're shuttin' down the Dome at the end of the week. Have to go back to Sydney by then. Any idea what he plans to do?"

Chuck shrugged again. "Go back to Alaska probably. Can't stay here, may as well go home, right?"

"I guess that will give you two something to talk about over dinner then. Better get on with it, too. End of the week'll get here faster than you think," Herc suggested. He used his chopsticks to pick up an egg roll that looked like it had sat out too long. "And make sure you go somewhere with better food than this crap." He shoved the roll in his mouth, grimacing at the lack of flavor.

Chuck grimaced. "Why do you think I never eat the egg rolls? Those Chinese street vendors can't make shit except lo mein and even that tastes like dishwater. Kinda sad for locals to fuck up their own grub."

"Back to my original question," Herc said, ignoring his son's comment. "When's the date?"

"I said I don't bloody know," Chuck snapped, lo mein hanging from between his lips. "I don't know how this shit works. Who's supposed to ask who out anyway? The guy is supposed to ask the girl on a date but obviously we're both guys so--"

"Sounds to me like you're making excuse 'cos you're nervous as hell," Herc interrupted, popping another tasteless egg roll in his mouth. 

Chuck was about to protest but his father was right. He was nervous. He had never been on a real date before, especially with another guy, and he liked Raleigh. He didn't want to fuck it up by doing the wrong thing, but at the same time he didn't like the idea of changing himself just to impress the man either.

The Marshall watched his son curiously. "Go on. Wipe that lo mein off your mouth and go ask him out proper."

"But-"

"Quit your bullshit, sprog. Be a man. Go ask him on a date. Tomorrow night, at seven. You meet in the quad and go from there," Herc ordered firmly. "Take him to Houou Falls for dinner," he added.

"Where the fuck is that?”

"Downtown Hong Kong. Nicest restaurant in the city. After that the rest is up to you," Herc said.

Chuck raised an eyebrow suspiciously. "How do you know all this? You’ve been planning this all along?"

The older Australian said nothing but instead grinned knowingly, rising from the bench. "I don't know what you're talkin' about. Go on then, clean your face, go ask him out. After you take all that to the bin," he replied, motioning to the food on the table. 

Chuck grumbled slightly but at the same time felt relieved. At least he had a plan of some sort, just in case Raleigh didn't have one of his own. He got up and threw away the garbage, glaring at his father who was standing in the entryway, watching intently.

"Remember son, tomorrow at seven in the quad."

"Yeah, yeah, I got it old man," the young ranger said, waving his hand flippantly, walking down the hallway toward the barracks.

 

Chuck took a deep breath before knocking on Raleigh's door. He hesitated at first, ready to flee, but then he realized how stupid he was being. It was Raleigh. Raleigh, who had seen him in a vulnerable state and still stuck around like a friend. Raleigh, who had helped nurse him back to health along with Herc. Raleigh who devised the plan to keep him alive during Pitfall.

Chuck knocked a second time, hearing shuffling behind the door. When the metal hatch opened, he was greeted by Raleigh, wearing a pair of sweats and a fresh case of bed hair. 

"Oi, sorry mate, didn't mean to wake ya," Chuck apologized.

"Nah, it's okay. I was bored, so I figured I'd hit the sack early." Raleigh reached up and ran his fingers through his hair like a makeshift comb. "So what's up? I thought you and your dad were going to get some of that shitty Chinese take out."

Chuck smirked. "Yeah, we did. Nasty stuff, that. Should have seen m'old man's face when he ate that poor excuse for an egg roll."

The redhead laughed nervously, trying to muster up the courage to ask what he came to ask. "So uh, you know that date we're supposed to go on, mate?"

Raleigh nodded, trying to hide the grin that was forming on his lips. 

"Well uh, so let's go on it, right? Tomorrow at seven, meet in the quad?"

Raleigh let himself smile wide now. "Sounds great, Chuck. Seven in the quad tomorrow night."

Chuck tried not to stare at Raleigh's bare chest and let a grin of his own form on his face. "Right then. Well, I'll let you get back to your sleep and all that." he turned to leave, his stomach turning butterflies.

"Hey Chuck? I'm glad you asked. I was hoping you would," the blond called after him.

"Oi, right mate. Glad you said yes, too. And uh, dress kinda nice. Going to a nice restaurant and all," the redhead added. He could feel his face growing hot with embarrassment. It was time to shuffle off in the direction of his own room to escape his nerves.

Raleigh smiled and slowly shut the door, watching until Chuck turned the corner. Raleigh had fully intended to ask Chuck out himself if the younger ranger didn't make the move first, but he really wanted Chuck to be the one to ask first. It would be humbling for Chuck to have to put the ball in someone else's court for once.

 

Chuck shut the door to his quarters behind him, finally letting out a deep sigh. 

“So I guess ya finally did it, right? Asked him out on a date like I told ya?” Herc asked, walking out of the bathroom, completely nude except for a towel slung over his shoulder. 

The younger ranger rolled his eyes at both the question and his father’s unashamed nudity. Chuck was no prude, but he really just had no desire to see his dad marching around the room in his birthday suit. 

“Yeah, yeah, I asked him. Meeting in the quad tomorrow at seven like ya said,” Chuck finally replied. He tossed his coat onto his bed then pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it aside as well. “I hope you left me some hot water old man.”

Herc laughed openly. “I would think ya would only be needing a cold shower for now, kid! At least until you boys ‘cement’ that relationship,” he teased. He could hear the familiar swears from his son as Chuck pulled the sliding door shut that separated the bunks from the bathroom. 

 

**  
Date Night**

Raleigh hadn’t felt this much anxiety in years. He hadn’t gone on a date since he was a teenager, and even then that had been with a girl. Chuck was about as far away from being a girl as a kaiju was from a puppy.

The ranger had just gotten out of the shower and dried off, standing in front of the bathroom mirror in a pair of black boxer-briefs that hugged all of the right places—just in case, he told himself. He put on his deodorant, shaved, and was in the middle of debating on whether or not to part his hair when there was a knock at the door. 

Raleigh quickly pulled on a pair of pants and shuffled to the door, slowly opening it. Standing there was Herc Hansen, holding what looked like a shopping bag.

“Herc, hey. What’s going on?” the blond asked, confusion giving way to a rising sense of nervousness. “Chuck didn’t send you to cancel on me did he?”

Herc scoffed, waving a hand to ease Raleigh’s obvious nerves. “I wouldn’t let that brat cancel if he tried.” He held the bag out toward Raleigh, nodding. “Take it, kid. You’ll need something nice to wear and you boys aren’t exactly swimming in casual or dress clothes.”

The younger ranger took the bag and looked inside. He could see there were clothes in the bag but he couldn’t tell what kind. “Thanks, Herc. What do I owe you?” he asked, turning inside to get his wallet. 

“Nothing, kid,” Herc replied, holding up a hand. “Just show the kid a good time, eh? For both your sakes,” the elder redhead said. He smiled and walked away, not waiting for Raleigh to argue about payment. He gave a casual wave to the call of gratitude he could heard coming from Raleigh’s door.

Raleigh sat the bag on his bed and began to withdraw the contents. Inside was a dark blue button-down dress shirt and a black pair of dress pants. A pair of black dress shoes completed the outfit, along with a belt, black socks, and thank God, no tie! Raleigh hated ties and would easily choke the man who invented them with his own necktie if he ever got the chance. At the very bottom of the bag were several small samples of cologne.

He quickly dressed, decided to neatly part his hair to the side, chose his fragrance and checked his watch. Ten minutes until it was time to meet Chuck.

 

Herc had been as generous to his own son as he had for Raleigh. The only difference was that Chuck had a nice olive color polo shirt and a pair of khaki pants. Slightly more casual, however Herc held no delusions about getting his son into anything more formal. He gave Chuck the room to himself to get ready, going outside for a walk around the Dome. It was most likely going to be his last chance to relax before their lives were upheaved and they would return to Australia, if Australia was even where they wanted to go.

 

Right now the only place anyone needed to go was Chuck, to the quad to meet his first date. Ever.

He peered around the corner of the hall into the quad. Sure enough, Raleigh was already there, staring out of the large glass window out into the ocean. The scene brought a light sadness to Chuck’s heart. The quad used to be full of people milling about during their free time, but now it was empty except for Raleigh and soon himself. 

Chuck took a deep breath and stepped into the quad fully, clearing his throat to alert Raleigh he was there. The blond turned around to greet him, a pleasant smile on his face as he gave Chuck a slow once-over.

“You look handsome,” Raleigh said, his eyes finally resting on the redhead’s face. 

“Uh yeah, thanks, mate,” Chuck said awkwardly. He wasn’t used to receiving compliments—genuine compliments—from someone that wasn’t hounding him for an interview or a jaeger groupie trying to get him in the sack. “Oh, you too. Ya clean up real nice,” he added, thinking perhaps he was supposed to return the sentiment. The truth was, Raleigh didn’t just look nice, he looked amazing. When they closed the gap between them and exchanged a friendly hug, Raleigh smelled like his favorite cologne, and the feeling of strong arms wrapped around him felt warm and comforting.

“So, any idea what we’re gonna do tonight? Anything special planned?” Raleigh asked, a knowing grin on his face. 

Chuck nodded. “Yeah, I thought we would go to this place, real nice in the city. Ho-ho Falls it’s called,” he said. “Upscale or something.”

Raleigh chuckled lightly. “You mean Houou Falls?”

“Yeah, that,” Chuck answered, blushing slightly. “So sue me, I’m not that good with Chinese words. You ever hear of an Australian speaking Chinese? Exactly, we don’t. What the fuck is a ho-ho anyway? One of those chocolate creampuffs?”

Raleigh grinned and took Chuck’s hand. “A houou is a Chinese phoenix. There used to be Chinese myths about them, and other creatures. Kirin, Tenma, Houou. They were powerful, magical creatures in folklore.”

“How d’ya know all this?” Chuck asked, impressed at his friend’s extensive knowledge. 

“It was on an advertisement for the restaurant,” the blond answered, laughing.

Chuck snickered. “And here I thought you might just be smart.” He watched Raleigh for a moment, making sure he understood it was a joke. Something Chuck had come to realize recently was that it wasn’t always apparent if he were joking or being serious. Satisfied that Raleigh was all right, he started leading him toward the outside exit of the quad. “Come on, mate. Let’s get moving. I’m hungry.”

“Not bringing Max along huh?”

“No,” the redhead replied, shaking his head. “He let me go it alone on this one. I think he knew it was supposed to be… just us. He didn’t even try to follow me out of the room.”

So, even Max was pushing for the two of them to get closer. Max, Herc, and probably Mako too if she had stayed behind. As it was, she had decided to return to Tokyo. 

“Well, good then. I was hoping to have you to myself for the night,” the older ranger said happily, still holding Chuck’s hand. They stepped outside of the Shatterdome, heading for the gates that led out into the city. 

“Let’s walk, okay? I don’t feel like dealing with the Hong Kong version of cabs,” Chuck suggested. Raleigh said nothing but walked along with him in comfortable silence. The gate shut behind them, leaving them to explore Hong Kong city on their own for the night. The first time they had ever really gotten to explore considering the circumstances. 

The two men left the gates behind them, stepping out onto the main road. Everything was lit up, cars zooming up and down the street recklessly. Horns beeped, citizens dashed from one sidewalk to the other, dodging vehicles like the old video game ‘Frogger’. 

“So how far is this place anyway?” Raleigh asked, looking over at the various shops across the way. 

Chuck shrugged. “Just a couple of miles I think.”

The older ranger nodded and they began to trek to the restaurant. At first they walked in silence, observing the people, cars, and stores. It was a lot to take in considering their exposure to crowds had been limited to PPDC staff. 

Eventually, Chuck asked a question that had been on his mind for quite a while, stuffing his hands in his pockets nervously. “Uh, hey mate? How come you wanted to do this? I mean, I treated you like shit the entire time we were at the Dome. We even got in a fight. Why did you suddenly change your mind about me? Why did you start to care?”

Raleigh didn’t answer right away. He had been wondering the same thing, honestly. Why did he care all of a sudden? Why did he forgive Chuck for being such an asshole? Why was he suddenly on a date with him, the possibility of a relationship being the ultimate goal?

“I… I don’t entirely know, Chuck,” the blond finally said. “I guess, I could tell you were upset, and the idea that you didn’t really know what it was like to experience love really made me sad. Especially the idea that you might die not knowing it. I haven’t exactly had the most experience with it, either, but I was expected to come back from the mission.”

Chuck furrowed his brow. “So you mean you just pitied me?” he said, disappointment in his voice.

Raleigh shook his head. “No, that’s not it at all. Sure, I felt bad for you, but I think everyone deserves a chance to be happy in life. Even if you had been a major dick, I thought maybe you just needed a chance to be happy and if you were, maybe you would stop being so aggressive. So angry and cocky.”

“But you could have just told me that. You didn’t have to…”

“Have to what? Suggest a date? No, I didn’t have to. I wanted to though. There’s just something about you. You know how they say opposites attract? That’s us. There’s something about you that just… it draws me to you. Grabs my attention. Makes me want to know you. It makes no sense, but what does anymore?”

Those words resonated within Chuck’s head. He had never had anyone show him that kind of friendship before. He was always so engrossed with PPDC and jaeger tech that he didn’t have time for a social life. Maybe he was subconsciously bitter about it. Maybe that’s why he was such a jerk to people. His social skills were terrible, and maybe all he needed was someone who cared enough to give him a chance.

Several minutes passed, the silence only partially awkward. Chuck broke the silence before they crossed the street, the restaurant not far away. 

“Raleigh? Thank you for this. For giving me a chance. I don’t think anyone ever cared enough to do that.”

Raleigh smiled, reaching over and taking Chuck’s hand, giving it a firm squeeze before letting go again. “You don’t need to thank me. Just give yourself a chance to be happy. Let go of all that baggage. Just enjoy yourself tonight.”

Chuck nodded and smiled, his eyes watering just slightly. He blinked it away, forcing himself to remain stoic. Now the silence was no longer awkward, but comfortable. They simply enjoyed the walk the rest of the way to Houou Falls.

 

Chuck held the door open for his date, ushering him inside. "I've got a reservation for two. Hansen," Chuck said, speaking to the maitre'd standing at the podium just inside the door. 

The host looked at the two men curiously but then led them to a table, giving them menus and assuring them their waiter would be along shortly. Unfortunately, the table was smack in the middle of the dining room, putting them on display. It didn't take long before people began looking sideways and whispering to each other.

That's Chuck Hansen isn't it? One of the pilots from Australia.

I love Aussie accents. Shut up, let's see if we can hear him talk.

Who's that guy with him? He's pretty hot.

You think that's another pilot? He doesn't look familiar.

Oh my God, that's Raleigh Becket! He was a pilot like, five years ago! I thought he died...

You think they're together? Never would'a picked Hansen as gay...

Maybe that other guy is his brother. 

I bet his father is real proud his son's a fruitcake.

I don't know who that is with Hansen, but damn he is fine! I love blond hair and muscles. 

 

Chuck wasn't surprised that he was being recognized, but what did surprise him was how so few of them seemed to know who Raleigh was. He was a pilot too, and had been for a lot longer than himself. Didn't anyone remember the posters? Every jaeger pilot pair was plastered on posters in front of their jaegers. 

"Everyone's staring over here, Chuck," Raleigh whispered. 

"I see that, mate. Can you hear them? All a bunch of jackasses they are," the Aussie whispered back, slightly louder than a real whisper, hoping that he might be overheard.

"Aren't you afraid they might, you know, figure us out?" the blond asked, cutting his eyes to one side, trying to impress upon some of the speakers that he did indeed hear their comments.

The redhead sighed and swallowed. It was something he had thought about over and over again. How would the world react to a jaeger pilot, not just any pilot but the infamous Chuck Hansen, being gay? How would people react to the idea that he was doing things behind closed doors that so many people were disgusted by? How would they look at him after that?

Chuck decided he didn't care. "No more whispering, mate. We're on a date. Fuck 'em if they wanna sit there and gossip like a bunch of hens," he said at normal volume.

Raleigh grinned, amused by the other man's confidence. It was at this point that the waiter introduced himself, taking their drink orders. Raleigh immediately decided they should share some wine, something native to the area. 

Once the waiter left, they started studying their menus as if they were looking at an exam. Almost ten minutes later they decided on their meals, gave their orders, and returned to talking.

"So let me ask you something," Raleigh began. "What are you and your dad gonna do now? The PPDC is done. Now what?"

Chuck shrugged. "If ya wanna know the truth, I really have no idea. Ever since I can remember we were in one Shatterdome or the other. It's not like I have a bunch of skills that'll get me anywhere then do I?"

"You could always get into mechanics. Machinery. It wouldn't be the same as jaegers but it would be in the same line of work."

"Hmm. Perhaps," Chuck replied thoughtfully. "What about you? What are you going to do now?"

Raleigh shrugged this time. "Probably go back into construction. I did it for five years. I was good at it. May as well get back into it. At least for a while."

They changed the subject for a little while, their food finally being served but after making it through half of their meal, the conversation returned to future plans.

"What about Australia? Are you going back?" Raleigh asked before shoving rice noodles into his mouth with a pair of chopsticks.

"Probably, but t'be honest, I don't wanna go back to that shithole apartment we had. It's small and cramped," Chuck replied, screwing up his face. "We never bothered getting anything decent since we were always on the roll with the program. Dad saw no sense payin' all that money for a nice place when we never stayed there," he added when Raleigh frowned. 

"Well now you can get a nice apartment, or condo, or even a house. You don't have to move around anymore. You can stay in one place, make a life for yourself. Even live on your own."

Chuck laughed. "Leave m'old man behind you think? I don't know if he'd know what to do without me! We've hardly ever spent much time apart since I was a kid. He was always teachin’ me about jaegers and stuff.”

I bet he was teaching you more than that…

Raleigh cut a glare to his left at the man who made the remark. The look in his eyes was enough to tell them man to go fuck himself, the middle-aged bastard turning away.

Who is that loser with Hansen? 

What’s a nobody doing around a jaeger pilot?

Whispers continued as Chuck and Raleigh finished their dinner, passing up dessert. When the waiter brought the check, Chuck immediately snatched it up.

“You don’t have to pay for me… We can split it,” Raleigh said kindly. 

“Fuck no, mate. I asked you out. I foot the bill,” Chuck insisted. The blond smiled, amused at the redhead’s confidence. 

Why isn’t Chuck Hansen out with some pretty girl? He should be on a date with a nice girl, not some lame queer.

I never would have thought a jaeger pilot would stoop so low. 

Faggot Hansen. I bet his daddy taught him how to pilot more than a jaeger.

Nobody…. Loser…. Queer…. Lame….

The words echoed in Chuck’s head. It wasn’t the fact that people were calling him names, it was the fact they were so oblivious to the fact that Raleigh Becket was the reason they were safe from the kaiju forever. 

Chuck felt his face turning red, his blood heating up. He heard one more person call Raleigh a nobody and it set him off, the straw that broke the camel’s back so to speak.

“Shut the fuck up, all of you!” Chuck shouted, standing up abruptly. He looked around the room, his cold glare connecting with everyone he had heard whispering about then. “I don’t give a shit what you got to say about me, but this is Raleigh Becket! Pilot of Gipsy Danger, the jaeger that sealed the Breach you fucking idiots!” he bellowed. 

“Chuck… It’s okay,” Raleigh said in an effort to calm his friend down. He put his hand on Chuck’s forearm, urging him to sit back down.

“No it isn’t! These people are blind! They should know, you’re the reason they can sit here in this fancy place, eating and talking like nothing’s wrong in the world. They get to go to bed at night, knowing there’s no more kaiju, and they’re too stupid to recognize and respect the man who saved them!”

Raleigh stood up, putting his hands on Chuck’s biceps. “Come on, let’s just go. Don’t let them ruin our good time,” he said softly. “I don’t care if they’re stupid. Just let’s go. Please,” he begged. 

Chuck sighed heavily, glaring around the room one more time. “You’re all luckier than you should be. Just remember that name when you go to bed at night, no care in the world. Raleigh Fucking Becket.”

Raleigh forced back a grin, thankful for Chuck’s respect but afraid of starting a riot nonetheless. 

Reluctantly, Chuck let the blond lead him out of the restaurant, passing by the host who not only wished them a good night, but quickly thanked Raleigh.

“Thank you, Mr. Becket. I appreciate what you did. Good night Mr. Becket, Mr. Hansen,” the man said. 

It was that host’s single notion of thanks that made Raleigh smile when they got outside. “See, someone cares. Someone was thankful. To hell with the rest,” he said.

Chuck huffed loudly. “I can’t stand that they kept sayin’ all those things. Calling you a nobody. You’re more than they are, that’s for damn sure.”

Raleigh met the man’s eyes, temporarily lost in them. “Thank you, Chuck. For dinner, and for sticking up for me. But don’t forget, you played a big part in Pitfall, too. You can’t give me all the credit. You earned just as much.”

“Eh,” Chuck commented, waving his hand dismissively. “Whatever. I just hit the switch on a nuke. It was you who went in the Breach, blew it all to hell.”

The blond didn’t say anything, not wanting to continue the conversation. He wanted Chuck to calm down. He wanted him to enjoy their date, not get riled up over some ignorant patrons. He reached down and laced his fingers with Chuck’s.

Chuck seemed surprised at first but smiled as he looked down at their joined hands. It felt good having someone else’s hand touching his. Latching on, squeezing gently, the person attached to the appendage grinning happily.

“Come on, let’s go. If you don’t have anything else in mind, I have something for us to do, back at the Dome,” Raleigh said. Chuck shrugged and the pair started to walk down the street back toward the Shatterdome, ignoring any stares their gripped hands may have caused.

 

“So what’re we gonna do in this place that’s so special, eh?” Chuck inquired as they arrived back at the Shatterdome. 

Raleigh fished in his pocket and pulled out a keycard. “Something nobody ever does. Go high as a jaeger.”

Chuck looked at him quizzically. “High as a jaeger? Are you drunk, mate? We’d have to go all the way to the top of the Dome. Nobody ever goes up there except the techs.”

A sly grin formed on the older pilot’s face as he held the keycard between them. “Well, there’s nobody here to stop us. Haven’t you ever wondered what it’s like to be up there, looking out on the ocean? Haven’t you ever wanted the view without kaiju and war and death going on?”

The younger pilot snatched the keycard from Raleigh’s hand. “Let’s go then.” Chuck led the way to the jaeger bay, a coliseum that looked depressingly empty. Neither man could imagine a time when they had seen an empty jaeger bay like this. There was always at least one of the giant machines ready to be launched at any time. But not anymore. Now that the kaiju war was over, there was no need for jaegers, no need for launch bays and Domes. 

Numerous catwalks, stairs, and ladders comprised most of their trek to the top of the launch bay. The higher up they went, the scarier it looked beneath them. For some reason it didn’t seem so far down when they were in their jaegers, but now, in an empty room, over two hundred feet in the air, it was menacing. 

“Are you sure this is a good idea, mate? We’re awful high up. I don’t wanna go splat after all I went through already,” Chuck asked, more nervousness in his voice than he meant to let on. 

Raleigh smiled mischievously. “Just keep going. That catwalk up there? The one right next to that door, that’s where we’re going,” he instructed, pointing to a metal walkway about twenty feet away. 

When they arrived at the door, Raleigh took the keycard back from Chuck and slid it through the door’s security lock. There was a quiet hiss as the lock disengaged and the door slackened. 

“Come on, out here,” Raleigh said, slipping through the opening. Chuck followed and when he stepped through, he found himself nauseatingly high in the air, the only thing between himself and a slimy death being a concrete ledge. 

“This is crazy! We’re going to fall!” Chuck yelled over the sound of the wind blowing. “We should go back down!”

Raleigh snickered playfuly. “Come on now, don’t tell me the big brave Chuck Hansen is too chicken to follow me.”

Chuck cut his eyes at his friend, knowing that he was feeding right into Raleigh’s trap. “Fuck you. Nobody calls Chuck Hansen a chicken. Just go, already.”

The ledge took them halfway around the top of the Dome where another ladder took them ten feet higher. The concrete path was fenced in by rebar piping but nothing else. Another ladder up, then one down, another catwalk, and finally a door that led into what looked like an airline tower. 

Inside the tower, they passed by what looked like an elevator. Chuck glanced at it, noting that it had a button for the bottom floor. 

“Couldn’t we have just taken this instead of walking all that way?” Chuck asked, annoyed. “Instead ya took me all around this damn sky ride, risking my life and maybe turning into a pile of gore!”

Raleigh cocked another sly grin. “The elevator wouldn’t have been as fun. This is a date, Chuck. An adventure. It’s boring taking an elevator up here when we could get to it this way.”

Chuck smacked his forehead with his hand, shaking his head. “You’re fucking insane. I knew it. The first guy I meet and he’s a bloody loony!” he chided himself.

“I’m not loony. I just want this to be memorable. Now come on, one more set of stairs and we’re outside.”

Sighing and rolling his eyes, Chuck followed the blond until they were outside once again. This time they were on the roof of the tower, all four sides closed in by small walls with the rooftop itself slightly sloped.

“Okay, now be careful. This stuff doesn’t break, but it’s slick as hell,” Raleigh warned, motioning to the clear glass before them. He set one foot onto the panel, crouching down on his hands and knees and crawling to the middle. “Come on, Chuck. Don’t leave me over here by myself.”

The redhead crawled on the ground until he was right next to Raleigh, both of them sitting on the glass surface. “Well now what, Rahleigh?”

“Lay back. Look up at the sky,” the older pilot instructed as he scooted back and reclined until he was resting flat against the ground. 

At this point, Chuck was willing to go with about anything, so he followed suit and laid down next to his friend. “Okay, I’m right here. Now what?”

Raleigh reached over with one hand and took Chuck’s fingers in his own. “We just relax, Chuck. We can talk, lay here and watch the stars.”

“What’s so fascinating about the damn stars?”

The blond laughed. “Well look there,” he said, pointing up with his free hand at a trio of stars in the sky. “See those three bigger, brighter stars? All in a row? That’s Orion’s Belt. It’s one of the most famous constellations in the sky.”

Chuck shifted his vision to focus on the set of lights, noting how they did indeed look like a belt. 

“And look at that one,” Raleigh pointed to another cluster. 

“The Big Dipper, right?” Chuck asked half-sarcastically.

“Uh, no. That’s Andromeda.”

“Oh. I knew that, I was just testing you,” Chuck replied. “They need to name some of these star patterns after jaegers. Make that group there, make that Striker Eureka, and that group over there. Make that one Gipsy Danger.”

“Chuck, those look nothing like jaegers. They’re not even constellations.”

“Fuck you, Ray, I was trying to be… Funny,” Chuck defended.

Raleigh smiled softly, turning his head and looking at the redhead, whose eyes were trained on the sky.

“No, you were trying to be romantic, I think. Your version of romantic,” the blond said eventually. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to ruin it.”

“Well you did. Now I’m gonna make that one over there a kaiju and make it eat your jaeger,” Chuck pouted, pointing up at another random cluster.

Raleigh slid closer to Chuck, lifting their joined hands and resting them on their hips. “The kaiju might eat Gipsy, but you’d save me. If you didn’t, you’d have nobody to argue with. Nobody to laugh at.”

“Oi, like I couldn’t find someone else,” Chuck asserted. After several seconds he softened his tone. “No, no I couldn’t. I can’t think of anyone else who would even give ole’ Chuck Hansen the time of day, unless they’re a rotted old jaeger fly.”

“Don’t say things like that. There’s plenty of people who would give you the time of day. Just dial four-one-one. In the US that’s information. I bet they’d tell you what time it was.”

“Fuck you, Ray! That’s not what I meant!” Chuck bellowed, snatching his hand back.

Raleigh gave chase with his hand, finding Chuck’s and taking possession of the other man’s fingers once more. “I was just playing. Plenty of people would like to be with you, even if you don’t believe it. I mean, I’m with you right now. You and me, up on top of the Dome, staring at the sky and bickering like two kids.”

Chuck giggled but said nothing. They laid in a slightly awkward yet comfortable silence for several minutes before he broke it. “So uh, you know about all these stars huh?”

“Yeah. Kind of a hobby I guess. I don’t know all of them, but I know a lot of the constellations. I even know some of the stories people link with them.”

“People put stories with them?”

“Yeah. Sort of like those old Greek myths. It’s how people explained the unknown back then, and they did the same thing with the stars. Some of them looked like shapes, so they made up stories about them,” Raleigh answered.

Chuck merely gave a quiet ‘hmm’, unsure of what to say next. He knew nothing of the stars, or mythology, or the Greeks. To him, it was all pages in a book.

“Hey Ray? Uh Raleigh?” Chuck asked, his sudden change in saying his friend’s name signifying that he probably had something serious on his mind. “So this star stuff… you said it’s your hobby, right?”

“Astrology, yeah.”

“Well, uhm, how did you start getting into it?”

Raleigh turned his head and looked over at Chuck curiously. “Just like any hobby I guess. I just heard something about it somewhere and thought it was interesting. Why, you want me to teach you about it?”

The redhead scoffed at the offer. “Not hardly. There’s no way I could remember all that nonsense. Not when I have to remember so many other things.”

“Other things? You mean working on jaegers? And kaiju?” There was no sarcasm in Raleigh’s voice, merely genuine interest in his questions.

“Well yeah. Important stuff like that.”

“But Chuck,” Raleigh began, “there’s no more kaiju. We don’t need any more jaegers. None even exist anymore. They’re all destroyed. You have free time now. You can actually work on your own hobbies for once.”

Chuck closed his eyes, the reality of the blond’s words setting in. Raleigh was right. No more kaiju. No more jaegers. Suddenly there would be all this free time to do something with.

“What else are you interested in?” Raleigh asked, turning onto his side and staring at his date. “You have hobbies, right?”

“N..no. I don’t,” Chuck stammered, embarrassed. When he saw the pitying look in Raleigh’s eyes, his own slammed shut again. “I never had time for all that. All my time was taken up with jaegers. Mechanics. I never had time for anything else.”

Raleigh felt bad for Chuck, but he knew if he put on the pity party, Chuck would shut down and lash out with his typical smartassed commentary. No, he would have to try another tactic.

“Alright, well then, you have a clean slate to work with. No more jaegers. You can have a regular job like everyone else, and when you aren’t working, there has to be stuff for you to enjoy. Right?”

“Maybe,” was all the redhead responded.

“Okay, well, the best way to find out how to spend your free time is to just try different things. Open your mind up to actually enjoying things in life and not worrying about kaiju anymore.”

A grin began to form on the younger ranger’s mouth. He then rolled onto his side, facing Raleigh, and in a single motion, pushed the older man onto his back and then straddled him, leaning down and kissing him right on the lips.

When Chuck let up, he smiled fully, his blush hidden by the night. “That’s something I want to enjoy. Kissing you.” Before Raleigh could reply, Chuck leaned down and began to kiss him again, forcing his tongue into the older man’s mouth. Raleigh quickly gave in and soon their hands were on each other as well.

Raleigh’s hands ran up and down Chuck’s arms feeling the tightly corded muscles. When he reached Chuck’s shoulders, Raleigh pulled him into a true embrace, hugging him tightly as they kissed. 

The men finally came up for air, breathing heavily at their sudden making out session. 

“I enjoy that very much,” Chuck repeated, grinning. 

“I like it too, but you know that isn’t what I meant, Chuck,” Raleigh replied, smirking. 

Chuck frowned and climbed off of Raleigh. “We’re in the middle of a hot tongue-fuck and you just had to go and mess it up!” he growled, sitting on the floor, facing away from his friend and pouting.

The blond sat up and put his hand on Chuck’s shoulder, pulling him around to face him. “Hey, I wasn’t trying to ruin the moment. I just… I didn’t want to forget the topic. I think it’s important.”

“What’s so important about what I do with my spare time, Rahleigh? What does it matter to you?” While the words were harsh, there was a certain sadness in them as well.

Raleigh sighed, frustrated. “Chuck, stop the aggressiveness, please,” he pleaded. “Don’t be so defensive. I’m your friend. Probably more, if you’ll let me. I care about you. That’s why it matters to me. I’m gonna tell you something real private, okay? Only Mako knows, because we drifted, but I would have kept it to myself if I could.”

Chuck turned his body around and laid on his side, supporting his head with his hand, elbow on the ground. “Alright, tell me. I won’t tell anyone. Ranger’s honor.”

The blond chuckled and then steeled himself mentally to share his dark secret. “After Yancy died, I quit the PPDC. I wanted nothing to do with it. The thing is, I felt lost. I had nowhere to go. I didn’t know what to do. I finally landed the construction job on the Wall after a couple of months in a cheap motel room. My cash was running out.”

The redhead stared at Raleigh intently, taking it all in. Surprisingly he had no smart comment to make but merely listened.

“I worked the Wall and was finally able to get a piece of shit apartment. By myself. I was so lost I felt like I had no purpose. Jaegers were really all I knew. I had no skills. I had no idea what to do when I wasn’t working. I just.. existed. It wasn’t until I was working the night shift, on my break and staring at the sky when one of my coworkers told me one of the stories about a constellation. After that I found my hobby.”

“Rah- Raleigh, why are you telling me this?”

“Two reasons, Chuck. One, because friends share their deepest secrets with each other. Especially when they’re working toward something more than friends. I told you something private because I trust you. I kept it a secret because I was embarrassed how it made me feel, how lost and confused and... sad I was. Two, because I don’t want the same to happen to you. I don’t want you to have that lost feeling. Just existing because there’s nothing that you find interesting to pass your time. Just working and going home to eat and sleep, wasting your days away. You have so much more to offer, and you’re smart, Chuck. Real smart. I don’t want to see you unhappy. I told you about this because I want you to see how important it is to find something, anything, to enjoy.” 

Chuck’s eyes began to water, his mind spinning. Nobody had ever shown him this kind of caring and concern before. His father had only recently shown him affection, and that was because he nearly died. Affection out of guilt. His father loved him, but they never talked about things. It was all in the drift but it was never talked about, and now they didn’t even have that. Not really. Yet, here was Raleigh, sharing his past with Chuck, actually concerned for his happiness. 

Raleigh wiped a tear from Chuck’s freckled cheek. “Hey, don’t do that. I don’t want to upset you. I just care.”

The redhead grabbed Raleigh’s hand and held it in his own. “I don’t know anything but jaegers and kaiju, Raleigh. That’s all I am. It’s all I know. It’s all I’ve ever known. I’m already lost.”

The blond gave him a comforting smile and pulled their hands to his lips, kissing the back of Chuck’s.

“That’s why I want you to find something, Chuck. I don’t want you to be lost. I want you to be happy. There has to be something that you’ve come across that interested you, but you didn’t have enough time to look into it. There is, isn’t there?”

Sniffling and fighting away his tears, Chuck though a moment. “When I studied kaiju back in training, I remember they mentioned some stuff about their similarities to lizards and frogs. They even talked about all these sea animals and how they wouldn’t stand up to a kaiju. I thought it was funny at the time, imagining a shark trying to bite the foot of a big as fuck kaiju and just getting stomped.”

Raleigh laughed. “Yeah, that is a kinda funny mental picture.”

“Anyway, somehow I got to wondering about sharks and stuff, thought about how they must have finally been afraid, at the bottom of the food chain. Sharks, being afraid, right?”

“So did you look into anything about sharks?” Raleigh asked, already knowing the answer.

Chuck shook his head. “No. No time, and I kinda forgot about it. But sharks are so cool. I think if we didn’t have Max, a shark would have been a cool mascot for Striker.”

A wide grin spread across Raleigh’s face. “I think we just figured out something for you to do. Sharks. Study sharks. Read about them. Maybe you’ll find out you really like learning about them, and maybe oceanography in general.”

“That’s the kind of shit they do in school. People don’t do that for fun,” Chuck balked.

“Not always. If you think they’re interesting, you can have fun learning about them. You get where I’m going with this, right? It’s a start for you. You’re only twenty-one. You can always go to college, get a degree in oceanography if you wanted to, make that a career. Or you can just do it for fun and do something else for a job. You have options Chuck, you’re not lost into nothingness.”

“Maybe. Will you help me?”

Raleigh clasped their hands together tighter. “Yes, I’ll help you.” I know you don’t need it, you’re too smart to need help, but you want help. You want someone to be there with you, to share in it. There’s hope for you, Chuck, Raleigh thought. 

Chuck took his hand back and then pushed Raleigh onto his back again. He moved to hover over him, laying flat against the older man. “Can we get back to tongue-fucking now?”

“Only if you promise-“

“I know. I do. I’ll really give it some thought. I promise,” Chuck said. “And you know I’m a man of my word.”

Without saying anything else, Raleigh reached forward and wrapped his arms around the younger ranger, their lips pressing together. He carefully slipped his tongue between both of their lips until he was able to find and massage Chuck’s tongue with his own. The younger man let out a soft moan, reveling in the moment. 

Chuck broke their kiss and stared into Raleigh’s eyes. “It’s funny, don’t you think, mate? A few weeks ago we were in the hall throwing punches. Now we’re laying on the roof swapping spit.”

Raleigh grimaced playfully. “You make it sound so nasty. It’s… kissing you is hot.”

“Of course it is. I’m Chuck Hansen. I’m the best at everything, remember? Your words.”

“Oh shut up Chuck,” Raleigh chided, yanking the younger man down and shoving his tongue back in Chuck’s mouth. The more they kissed, the more their hands began to roam. Raleigh gripped Chuck’s firm ass in his hands and squeezed, eliciting another moan from the ranger.

Chuck didn’t have access to Raleigh’s rear since the older man was lying on his back, so instead he opted for latching onto the man’s biceps, massaging the muscles. He then moved his hands further inward until his fingertips were teasing the buttons on Raleigh’s shirt. 

The top three buttons popped loose easily as Chuck tugged on them, baring the top portion of Raleigh’s chest. So smooth, so solid. The heat between them was increasing, several beads of sweat forming on both of their faces.

“Damn, you’re soaked. The back of your shirt…” Raleigh began.

“That’s not sweat you sod, it’s rain. It’s starting to rain!” Chuck exclaimed. He made to get up but Raleigh pulled him back down.

“Who cares? Let’s stay right here. Who cares about the rain?”

Chuck didn’t need to be told twice. He quickly returned on exploring both Raleigh’s mouth and his chest, pulling open two more buttons. Then another. Raleigh’s chest was more and more exposed, Chuck rubbing his hands all over the tight pectorals, lightly brushing against the circuitry scars, gently tweaking the pert nipples and gaining a groan of pleasure from the older man.

“If you’re getting to see me, I want to see you. Get rid of the shirt,” Raleigh ordered as Chuck popped open the last button, untucking the material from Raleigh’s pants. 

The redhead grinned, his hair plastered to his head as the rain fell. He yanked the polo shirt over his head and tossed it aside, baring himself. Raleigh bit his bottom lip at the sight of the slightly hairy chest of Chuck Hansen. His hands reached up, grabbing Chuck by the sides and pulling him down.

“You feel so good,” Raleigh hissed, enjoying the sensation of the slightly damp fur between them. Up until this point he hadn’t even bothered to notice the strain in his pants and the growing lump in Chuck’s. 

The younger ranger was just coming to realize his own hardness as Raleigh shifted beneath him. He began to grind his hips into the older ranger, both men letting out sharp gasps at the sensation. 

Raleigh slipped his hands beneath the waistband of Chuck's pants and boxers, a movement that startled the younger man. "What's wrong?" Raleigh asked, only slightly alarmed.

"I uh... I just didn't expect that," Chuck replied nervously. He hoped Raleigh would just assume the subtle quiver in his voice was just shivering from the rain, but the older man wasn't easily fooled.

"You sure that's it? You kinda jerked away more than just that."

Chuck opened his mouth to say something smart, but the words dissipated from between his lips before they had time to form. 

"Chuck, are you...?"

"So I never did anything with a guy before, okay?" the Australian barked defensively. "Cut me some slack."

Raleigh winced, embarrassed that his question was taken as harsh criticism. "I didn't mean it like that. I was just trying to make sure you were okay with this. I don't want you to do anything you don't want to. I wasn't trying to make fun of you."

Chuck relaxed a bit, settling his weight back on Raleigh's legs. "Sorry, mate. I guess I'm just a little sensitive about it. I mean, I fucked a couple of girls before, mostly because I wanted to get laid and I wanted to shut them up. Goddamned jaeger flies. But I never did anything with a bloke. Just kissing like we've been doing. And just with you, so I guess that doesn’t count as experience, eh?"

"That's okay. I don't have much experience myself. Just some experimentation when I was a teenager but nothing substantial. Nothing really intimate. Not like this," Raleigh assured him. "So I guess we're both kinda guy-virgins."

The redhead smirked. "Good. Then I don't have to worry about not being good enough at it. But uhm, can we still kinda take it slow? I'm... nervous."

"Did Chuck Hansen just admit he's nervous?" Raleigh teased. Chuck cut him a cold glare before allowing himself to laugh it off. "We can take it slow. I'm kinda nervous too. I like you Chuck. I want it to be good for both of us if it happens."

"Not if. When," Chuck corrected him. "I want it to happen. I want it to happen... with you. I... I trust you, Raleigh," he said. "Goddamn, when did I turn into such a slush?"

Raleigh laughed, rain falling on his tongue. "Doesn't matter. Slush is okay. It'll happen when we're both ready for it. For now let's enjoy what we have right now."

Chuck's response was physical—he leaned back down and kissed Raleigh, sucking the man's bottom lip until it was purple and bruised, all the while grinding his hips again and letting his hands roam over the smooth chest beneath him.

They let their tongues battle back and forth for control until Raleigh felt the water beginning to pool at the bottom of the rooftop.

"I think we better go in," Raleigh suggested. "We can keep going inside."

"If we don't bust our arses getting off of here," Chuck only half-joked. He dismounted Raleigh and snatched up his shirt, carefully edging to the side of the roof and climbing back down. Raleigh followed, sliding the last few feet into the wall. 

"Careful you sod. I don't need you busting your arse on me."

The two men shuffled inside out of the rain, pressing the button for the elevator that would take them down to the bottom floor. Before the elevator doors even shut, Chuck had pushed Raleigh up against the wall and was kissing him again, his hands grasping the man's hips. 

When they reached the bottom floor, Chuck pulled his sopping wet shirt back on, just in case they ran across his dad. It would be slightly awkward if they came upon Herc while Raleigh's shirt was unbuttoned and Chuck's was completely off, the two of them heading to Raleigh's room. The last thing Chuck really wanted was his dad to have the mental picture of his son banging another man. 

They made it to the room in peace, Herc nowhere in sight. Raleigh shut the door behind them, not bothering to turn on the light. They latched onto each other’s mouths again, both of them soaked and shivering. 

"Wanna take a shower?" Chuck asked innocently.

"Means we gotta be naked together. You sure?"

Chuck rolled his eyes and grinned. "I said I'm not ready to go for full on sex yet. I didn't say we couldn't trade handjobs you moron."

With that, they began to tear at each other's clothes, first losing shirts, then shoes and socks, pants, and ending up in their underwear.

"You sure?" Raleigh asked one last time.

The answer came with Chuck yanking down Raleigh's boxer-briefs, allowing the older man's erection to pop free.

"That's a yes." Raleigh didn't get the same treat however as Chuck took his own boxers off before the blond had a chance to even reach forward. As he expected, Chuck had a full, dark red bush of hair, while he himself had a modest patch of trimmed dark blond hair. 

"Come on, mate. Let's get that shower," Chuck growled, pulling Raleigh along to the bathroom. 

Twenty minutes later the two men emerged from the steam, sated from mutual orgasms. Tired, they crawled into Raleigh's bed, the older ranger snuggling up to Chuck's chest.

"I'm glad we're giving this a shot, Chuck. I really am," the blond said. 

"Yeah, me too, mate. Me too," Chuck replied. It didn't take long before they were both fast asleep.


End file.
